b"I wish that more people would make a ialandcremation. WhenBrownie, mypoint of visiting a cremator for a tour and GoldenRetriever/Shepherdmixwasthencomeseeourfacility,sheadded. diagnosed with a terminal illness, I foundAquamation, Joyce explained, is very sim- myselfpre-mourningfortwoyearsilartoMotherNature'sgroundburial. beforehediedattheageof18.Ourpetsconsistofapproximately80 Thankfully,Iwaspreparedandalreadypercent water, which is why aquamation knew how I would take care of her body.utilizes 95 percent water and five percent For what that dog gave to me, I knew Ialkalineintheprocess-thesametwo wanted to give that back to her. I wantedingredients Mother Nature uses to break todosomethingpropertohonorher.down elements in the soil, she said. The viewing in the chapel at Natures PetNatures Pet Loss works closely with Dawn Klyczek Loss gave me closure. Joyce and her staffTampaBayAreaveterinarians,sothat Farming is my background, so Im very went the extra mile for Brownie and me.they have this service available to their aware of the cause and effect our exis- And for that I will be forever grateful.Uclients. We will pick up and transport tence has on the environment. Ive had allthe body back to our facility, 24/7, said ofmydogscremated. AquamationisaJoyce. She has also been known to visit goodalternative,simplybecausethewith a distraught pet owner whose dog process has little to no effect on our envi-has passed away suddenly at home. ronment - no fire, ashes or fumes. HavingWe listened as several clients of Natures had so many pets in our lives, weve dealtPet Loss described their own experiences with death many times and knew what towith aquamation and their pets. expectwhenSkipper,our16-year-oldQueensland Blue Healer died last year.ThestaffatNaturesPetLossarethekindest people I have ever met.Natures Pet LossAquamation Water CremationSpecialistsJoyce Moreau646 West Jefferson Street, Brooksville352.777.4990NaturesPetLoss.comAlissa Dequevedo Your pets body will be picked up anywhereI love rabbits and adopted Mabel from in the Tampa Bay Area, 24/7 and gentlythe shelter. She lived to be six years old, Charity Miller, DVM wrapped in a blanket, then placed in a bed.and of all my pets, she was the most spe- Joyce had visited our practice to talk to Your pets remains will be returned deliveredcial to me. She was a brave, confident soul our staff about Natures Pet Loss. We were to you in a beautiful wooden urn, with awho loved to cuddle. I love the idea of all very open to it and especially liked Remembrance Paw Print and fur clippings.being able to have her remains with me, that we are able to give our clients an Natures Pet Loss also has a Memorialoption that is gentle on the animals body Room in their chapel with a capacity of 30especiallyifIevermovetoanother people if you wish to hold a memorial forhome.IreadaboutNaturesPetLoss andsaferontheenvironment.When your pet.online and more about the aquamation Oliver, my 10-year-old cat died, I imme-process;howgentleitwouldbeon diatelycalledJoyce.SheandherstaffMabels little body as well as to the envi- were so compassionate in how they caredronment. In the past, my veterinarian has for his body. I trusted them to handle him Grief hurts. But it is also healthy,takencareofthebodyafterapethas with care. even necessary. It is natural andbeeneuthanized.Butthen,itslikea Tina Wells cleansing, a spiritual process as wellflashback when I visit my vet with anoth- We live on a farm, so I know what hap- as a testament to the power of loveer pet. I felt right at home as soon as I pens when you bury an animal. The bod- and attachment. As much as I dreadwalked through the doors at Natures Pet ies invariably will get dug up. And the grief, I would hate to have a dog orLoss. Everyone was so kind. You have to thought of cremation has always terrified cat for whom I did not grieve.earn the heart of a bunny for them to me. WhenIpickedupabrochureon ~Jon Katz from his book, Going Home.love you back. I wanted to honor Mabels aquamation at our local feed store I was Finding Peace When Pets Die.after she died, and this was perfect. happy to read about an alternative to bur-www.TheNewBarker.com Spring ~ 2015 THE NEW BARKER 61"